- Partially autonomous cars will have teal colored exterior lights that activate when their automated systems are on under a new automotive industry standard.
- The move will help law enforcement spot the difference between a distracted driver and one who is legally paying less attention to the road.
Laws in every state require drivers to pay careful attention to the road. Advancing technologies mean some cars can now somewhat pilot themselves, with a human driver standing by to intervene.
That poses a new problem: How can police tell the difference between an illegally distracted driver and one who is just using a car’s automated driver assistance system (ADAS)?
The answer? Look for the blue-green lights.
Related – Self-Driving Cars: Everything You Need to Know
SAE, formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers, develops standards that the automotive industry agrees to follow, although they don’t have the force of law. The group recently released a new standard stating that all cars with ADAS systems will have “a dedicated exterior signal lamp used to indicate when the Automated Driving System is performing the full driving task.”
The lights will have a “blue green” color, the group says.
They’re already on the road in some places.
Automakers use a five-level ladder to describe their progress toward self-driving cars. Level 1 is a car that can automate a single task while a driver keeps their hands on the wheel, as in cruise control. Level 5 is a car that requires no steering wheel or pedals because it is fully autonomous and drives itself at all times.
Most automakers today have a Level 2 system on the road – one that can accelerate, brake, and steer under limited conditions, but requires a human driver paying attention at all times.
Mercedes Already Has This on the Road
Mercedes has the only Level 3 system for sale in the U.S. today. Its Drive Pilot is legal only in Nevada and parts of California. It allows drivers to look away from the road while the system is engaged, but works only in limited circumstances.
Drive Pilot is sold only on the company’s flagship S-Class Sedan and the discontinued EQS electric car. It uses teal lighting to signal when it’s working.
